UK Chancellor announces tax breaks for fracking

1 – UK encourages fracking industry with tax breaks
UK Chancellor George Osborne announced plans yesterday to dramatically cut taxes on fracking profits from 62% to 30%, reports the Independent. MPs and environmentalists, who oppose the controversial technology, warned that the move was “unwarranted” and could even be illegal.

2 – Obama instructs government to use more renewable energy
President Obama has ordered federal agencies to more than double their renewable energy use by 2020, the LA Times reports. The White House said that agencies have already reduced their annual greenhouse gas emissions by over 15% since Obama took office, with the overall goal of a 28% cut by the end of the decade.

3 – UN highlights climate change challenge in Africa
A new report from the United Nations Environment Programme entitled ‘Africa Adaptation Gap Report’ has pinpointed the challenges of adapting to climate change in Africa, reports Al Jazeera. The document confirms that Africa is already committed to spending $7-15bn each year to adapt to climate change as a result of historical emissions.

4 – Czech nuclear plans “impossible” without government aid
Plans in the Czech Republic to secure energy independence through a $15 billion nuclear power expansion will not be able to make headway unless the state guarantees a price for the power, Bloomberg reports. Nuclear power does not emit carbon, but faces controversy because it produces radioactive waste. Chief strategist at electricity company CEZ said the plants was “simply impossible” without government guarantees.

5 – UN chief urges climate smart agriculture
UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said yesterday that climate smart agriculture was needed to combat two connected problems: agriculture as a major source of greenhouse gas emissions, and farmers who are already struggling due to the impacts of climate change. IBNS reports that he called for practical measures to be taken, including agroforestry and the diversification of crops.